Bär-Oppenheimer Family Collection

Oppenheimer Family Louis Oppenheimer was the son of Siegmund Oppenheimer and Henriette Lewis, and grandson of Zacharias Oppenheimer, founder of the Michelfeld Oppenheimer woolens factory.The factory specialized in the production of uniforms, including those used by the Prussian and Baden military. In 1860 Louis Oppenheimer came to Bruchsal, where he founded the Firma Oppenheimer with the support of his father. In July 1860 he married Berta Bär, daughter of banker Jakob Bär. Louis and Berta Oppenheimer had four children who lived to adulthood: Jacob, Karl, Henny, and Otto. Berta Oppenheimer died in 1883, while Louis Oppenheimer died in 1907.

Otto Oppenheimer was born on September 7, 1875, the youngest son of Louis Oppenheimer and Berta Bär. On December 8, 1903 he married Emma Wälder; they had two daughters, Suse and Annie. Otto Oppenheimer served in World War I. After the death of his father he led the Firma Oppenheimer. In 1935 he faced charges of having traded in uniform cloth of the SA (Sturmabteilung), something forbiden for Jews; the charges were later dismissed, but the company began to lose customers. In August 1938 Otto Oppenheimer gave the firm over to his non-Jewish colleague Ernst Franke, and it was renamed the Ernst Franke and Co., GmbH. In 1941 Otto and Emma Oppenheimer moved to New York with their daughter Annie and son-in-law Richard Bär, settling in the Bronx. Otto Oppenheimer died in the Bronx on February 8, 1951; his wife died there nineteen years later.

Bär family Richard Bär was born to Friedrich (Fritz) Bär and Mathilde (Tilly) Bär in Bruchsal in 1898. He served in World War I, for which Richard Bär earned an Iron Cross Second Class. In 1928 he married his cousin Annie Oppenheimer, the daughter of Otto and Emma Oppenheimer. They had two children: Hanne, born in 1929, and Martin, in 1930. Richard Bär followed in his father's path and took over the firm founded by his grandfather Raphael Bär in 1799, which dealt with the import and export of leather and skins. It was Richard Bär who renamed the company the Anol AG and moved it to Zug, Switzerland, in 1934. At this point the firm's focus shifted to the export of leather. Other family members who left Germany led branches of the firm in other countries: Felix Bär in Montreal and Hermann Bär in London. In 1941 Richard Bär, along with his wife, their children, and Annie's parents Otto and Emma Oppenheimer, emigrated to New York. On August 1, 1946 the couple became citizens of the United States. The Anol AG was liquidated by Bär family members in 1954. Richard Bär died in Sullivan County, New York, in 1965; Annie Bär died in the Bronx in September 1976.

Louis Oppenheimer was the son of Siegmund Oppenheimer and Henriette Lewis, and grandson of Zacharias Oppenheimer, founder of the Michelfeld Oppenheimer woolens factory.The factory specialized in the production of uniforms, including those used by the Prussian and Baden military. In 1860 Louis Oppenheimer came to Bruchsal, where he founded the Firma Oppenheimer with the support of his father. In July 1860 he married Berta Bär, daughter of banker Jakob Bär. Louis and Berta Oppenheimer had four children who lived to adulthood: Jacob, Karl, Henny, and Otto. Berta Oppenheimer died in 1883, while Louis Oppenheimer died in 1907.

Otto Oppenheimer was born on September 7, 1875, the youngest son of Louis Oppenheimer and Berta Bär. On December 8, 1903 he married Emma Wälder; they had two daughters, Suse and Annie. Otto Oppenheimer served in World War I. After the death of his father he led the Firma Oppenheimer. In 1935 he faced charges of having traded in uniform cloth of the SA (Sturmabteilung), something forbiden for Jews; the charges were later dismissed, but the company began to lose customers. In August 1938 Otto Oppenheimer gave the firm over to his non-Jewish colleague Ernst Franke, and it was renamed the Ernst Franke and Co., GmbH. In 1941 Otto and Emma Oppenheimer moved to New York with their daughter Annie and son-in-law Richard Bär, settling in the Bronx. Otto Oppenheimer died in the Bronx on February 8, 1951; his wife died there nineteen years later.

Richard Bär was born to Friedrich (Fritz) Bär and Mathilde (Tilly) Bär in Bruchsal in 1898. He served in World War I, for which Richard Bär earned an Iron Cross Second Class. In 1928 he married his cousin Annie Oppenheimer, the daughter of Otto and Emma Oppenheimer. They had two children: Hanne, born in 1929, and Martin, in 1930. Richard Bär followed in his father's path and took over the firm founded by his grandfather Raphael Bär in 1799, which dealt with the import and export of leather and skins. It was Richard Bär who renamed the company the Anol AG and moved it to Zug, Switzerland, in 1934. At this point the firm's focus shifted to the export of leather. Other family members who left Germany led branches of the firm in other countries: Felix Bär in Montreal and Hermann Bär in London. In 1941 Richard Bär, along with his wife, their children, and Annie's parents Otto and Emma Oppenheimer, emigrated to New York. On August 1, 1946 the couple became citizens of the United States. The Anol AG was liquidated by Bär family members in 1954. Richard Bär died in Sullivan County, New York, in 1965; Annie Bär died in the Bronx in September 1976.